Vehicle-wheel.



PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

0. MILLER. VEHICLE WHEEL. APPLIGATIONJILED DEO.13, 1901.

2 sums-sum 1.

N0 MODEL.

WITNESSES: V INVENTQR A" I r No. 719,023. PATENTED JAN. 27, 1903.

G. MILLER. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 13. 1901v N0 MODEL.

2 $HEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR m Wham,

MITORIYELS.

lUnTThn flTaTns FATnNT OFFICE.

CHARLES MILLER, OF BIN GHAMTON, NEW YORK.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 719,023, dated January27, 1903.

Application filed December 13, 1901. $erial No. 85,787. (No model.)

To aZZ 1072 0112, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES MILLER, of Binghamton, in the county ofBrooms, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle-VVheels, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to improvements in vehicle-wheels, having moreparticular reference to the rim and the sectional tire secured thereto.

The object of this invention is to provide the rim with a tire composedof a series of separate inflatable sections having no communication onewith the other, each being provided with a separate valve whereby thesections may be inflated and held inflated independently of each other.

Another object is to extend the ,valve of each section through the rimof the wheel and to provide the inlet-passages in which the valves arearranged with suitable removable caps normally closing theinlet-opening, whereby the tire-sections may be inflated independently,or a suitable air-tube having a series of branch nipples correspondingin number to the number of sections may be detachably connected to theinlet-passages for simultaneously inflating all of the sectionsas, forinstance, when the tire-sections are first inflated.

A further object is to provide each section with an open clamping-frame,which is socured to the rim and in which the intermediate portions ofthe side bars are prevented from spreading by suitable clamping means,hereinafter described.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, andarrangement of the parts of a vehicle-wheel, as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan, partly in section, ofa portion of a rim of a wheel and a series of inflatable sectionsoperatively secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. partly insection, of the parts seen in Fig. 1. Fig. is a detail view of a portionof an in fir ting-tuloe for simultaneously inflating the sections. Fig.at is a sectional View taken on line 4:4, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aperspective view of one of the detached open clamping-frames for one ofthe inflatable sections. Fig. 6 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2,showing a single closed inflatable section, the inner sack beingdispensed with. Fig. 7 isa sectional view takenon line 7 7, Fig. 6.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, I have shown a portion of avehicle-wheel consisting of a rim 1, a series of separate inflatablesections 2, and separate clamping-plates 3, holding the tire-sections inposition and permitting the removal of either section independently ofthe others. The rim 1 may be of any desired form, size, or construction,either wood or sheet metal, and is provided with a series ofsubstantially radial apertures 4 for receiving suitable nipples,presently described, which are formed upon the inflatable sections. Eachof these inflatable sections 2 preferably consists of an inner sack 5and an outer casing 6, the inner sack 5 being formed of thin rubberhaving a hollow nipple 7 extending through the aperture 4: and providedwith an inlet-passage communicating with an interior chamber of the sack5. The nipples of each sack are provided with a valve 8, normallyclosing the inletpassage against the deflation of the sack, the casingsof these valves being arranged at the inner side of the rim and providedwith removable caps or closures 9, which serve to prevent the entranceof dust or dirt to the valve-chamber. These valves may be of any desiredconstruction, and being independent of each other itis apparent that thesacks may be inflated separately.

When the tire-sections are first inflated, I preferably use an air-tube10', which is provided with a series of nipples 11, adapted to beconnected in the usual manner to each of the valve-casings 8, wherebyall of the tiresections may be simultaneously inflated, after which theair-tube 10 may be removed and the caps 9 replaced in position upon thecasings 8. Although the air-tube 10 is particularly advantageous in theinitial inflation of the tire-sections, it will be readily understoodthat it forms no permanent part of the wheel and that the essentialprinciple of this inven- ICO tion is to provide forthe separate andindependent inflation of the sections.

As seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the sack 5 normally rests upon theperiphery of the rim, and the nipples 7 extend entirely through the rimin the apertures 4, and that should any one of the sections becomedeflated from any cause it is simply necessary to remove its cap 9 andto attach any form of air-pump or compressedair conduit to the casing 8of the valve for reinflating the section. The outer casing 6 inolosesthe outer and side walls of the sack 5 and are each provided with aperimetric base-flange 12, resting upon the periphery of the rim andhavinga marginal rib 13 and a groove 1 1 at the inner side of the rib.The outer wall of the casing forms the tread of the tire and is usuallythicker than the end and side walls, said outer casing being secured insuch manner as to be readily removed from the sack without displacingthe sack from the rim, or, if desired, the outer section and sack may beremoved together by simply removing the individual clamping members foreach section.

The clam ping-plates 3 preferably consist of open metal frames havinglengthwise side bars and transverse end bars uniting the opposite endsof the side bars. Each of these clam ping-frames su rrounds itsrespective tiresection and normally engages the flange 12 to impinge thesame against the periphery of the rim being provided with inner marginalribs 15, surrounding the opening in the frame and resting in the groove14 of the base-flange 12. The rib 13 of the flange 12 being at the outerside of the rib 15 of the frame 3, it is apparent that when the frame isclamped in position the outer section 6 is normally held from spreadingor displacement,which also serves tofirmly hold the sack in operativeposition. The longitudinal edges of the open frames 3 are provided withinwardly-projecting flanges 16, and the end edges of the transverse barsare provided with recesses 17, the flanges 16 being extended inwardlybeyond the periphery of the rim and lapped upon the side edges thereofand serve to prevent lateral displacement of the clamping-frame. Theseinwardly-projecting flanges 16 are provided with transverse apertures 18substantially midway between their opposite ends for receiving aclamping-bolt 19, which is passed through a transverse aperture 20 inthe rim at one side of the inflating-nipples for tying the lengthwiseside bars of the clamping-frame together to prevent their spreading whenthe tire-sections are inflated, this clamping-bolt also serving tofirmly lock the frame 3 to the rim and also to strengthen the rim fromsplitting longitudinally owing to the large number and sizeof openingstherein for receiving the several nipples.

One of the flanges 16 of each frame is provided with aninwardly-projecting boss 21, which enters a recess in the adjacent sideof the rim 1, said boss having a threaded aperture for receiving asimilarly-threaded end of the bolt 19, the opposite end of said boltbeing countersunk in the opposite end of said flange, and is slotted forreceiving a screwdriver whereby the bolt 19 may be readily removed whenit is desired to remove the clamping-plate or the tire-section which isheld thereby.

The meeting ends of the several clampingplates 3 preferably abut againsteach other and are additionally secured to the rim by clamping-screws22, which enter the recesses 17 in adjacent ends of the clamping-plates,and it is thus evident that a single screw serves to hold the adjacentends of the clam ping-plates in position.

In the operation of my invention the inner sacks are first placed inposition end to end upon the rim, with their nipples 7 and the valvestherein projecting through the apertures 4. The outer casings are thenslipped over the sacks 5 until the flanges 12 engage the periphery ofthe rim, and the several clamping-plates are then slipped over the outercasing 6 and side edges of the rim,whereupon the bolts 19 and screws 22are placed in operative position for locking the frames to the rim. Theinflating-tube 10 is then connected to the inlet-openings of the severalinflatable sections, which are then inflated in the usual manner,whereupon the tube 10 is removed and the caps 9 placed in position uponthe casings 8. Should one of the inflatable sections become deflated, itis simply necessary to remove its bolt 19 and one or both of the screws22 holding that particular plate in position, whereupon the impairedtire-section may be removed and a new one inserted and inflatedindividually with but very little loss of time and slight expense.

In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown a slightlymodified form of my inventionconsisting of a single closed inflatable section 2', which serves asboth the casing and the sack and is substantially the same as the outercasing 6, except that it is provided with an inner wall 30, having anipple 7, valve 8, and cap 9 similar to the nipple, valve, and cap 7, 8,and 9 of the section 2.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood uponreference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a rim having a series of radial openingstherethrough and provided with a transverse aperture for each radialopening and in proximity thereto, a separate inflatable sack for eachopening resting on the rim and having a valved nippl in its respectiveopening, an inclosing casior tread for each sack having an outward-flanged base resting on the rim, an open frame engag-- ing the flangedbase and having side flanges embracing the rim, said side flanges havingI apertures alined with the apertu res in the rim one of said sideflanges carrying an inwardlyextending threaded boss projecting into theaperture in the rim, and a bolt passed through said aperture andengaging in said threaded boss, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a vehicle-rim and a plurality of separately-inflatable tire-sections, said sections each having a valved nipple, therim having a radial opening for each nipple and a transverse aperture atone side of and in proximity to each radial opening, a clamping-framefor each inflatable section, said frame including downwardly-extendingmarginal ribs, an outer casing for each inflatable section, said outercasing having a flanged boss resting on the rim and engaged by themarginal ribs of the clamping-frame, parallel side flanges carried bysaid frame and provided with apertures alining with the transverseapertures in the rim, a threaded boss carried by one of the side flangesand projecting into the rim, and a clamping-bolt for each frame passedthrough its aperture in the rim and engaging in said threaded boss.

3. The combination of a vehicle-rim having a series of radial openingsand a second series of transverse openings, one for each radial opening,inflatable tire-sections and casings there for, one section for each setof radial and transverse openings and having a valved nipple extendingthrough its corresponding radial opening, and a clamping-frame for eachsection, said frame comprising parallel side flanges to embrace the rimand interior depending marginal ribs to impinge the casing on oppositesides thereof, and securing means passed through the side flanges andtransverse openings in the rim to lock the frames to the rim,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day ofNovember, 1901.

CHARLES MILLER. W'itnesses:

H. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. Now.

